Title: Northern Lights (His Dark Materials, #1) Author: Philip Pullman Published by: Scholastic Point Published on: 23 Oktober 1998 Page: 399
I loved him at once. I would have changed my nature, I would have forsaken the star-tingle and the music of the Aurora. I would never have flown again -- I would have given all that up in a moment, without a thought, to be a gyptian boat-wife and cook for him and share his bed and bear his children. But you cannot change what you are, only what you do.
-- Part Three: Svalbard, Chapter 18: Fog and Ice
If there was one book that I could proudly say I finished while doing my postgrad studies in Aberdeen, it was Philip Pullman's Northern Lights. My friends had long recommended His Dark Materials trilogy, but as you might have been familiar with, my main issue with starting a new fantasy series is always skepticism. Though it might be critically acclaimed. Though it has been highly recommended by people whose tastes I look up to. I can't help it! Starting a new series meaning one needs to be ready to invest not only their time but also emotions on the storyline and the characters!
What is Northern Lights? you might wonder. Well, using that title, this book sounds unrecognisable. Did you know that, just as the first book of Harry Potter had its title changed upon entering the United States' market, so did the first book in this trilogy. From Northern Lights, it was changed to The Golden Compass.
*insert shocked face*
Our story centers on a girl with an accute sense of curiosity named Lyra Belacqua. It's worth noting that the story is set in an alternate universe, though most of the locations are similar to our world. As an example, Lyra is said to live in Oxford, specifically Jordan College. In reality, there is no such thing as Jordan College in Oxford. More of less, it's actually inspired by Exeter College, Pullman's alma mater. In this alternate universe, everyone has a daemon -- sort of the soul of said person, taking physical shape and separate from the person. Children's daemons have the ability to shapeshift to any kinds of animal, but once they grow up they will choose one permanent shape.
At the beginning of the story, Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel, came to visit Jordan College. He was infamous as a heretic, a rebel to Magisterium -- sometimes is also referred to as the Church, a political/religious organisation that rules the world. This seems like a boring prologue to the story, until through Lyra's eyes we realised that the Master of Jordan College intended to poison Lord Asriel's drink. Lyra told Lord Asriel, and as some sort of thank you, she was allowed to watch his presentation on Dust (mysterious particles which have unique preference towards children and are often assumed to be able to open gateways to other parallel worlds in the universe), but she had to stay hidden. Lord Asriel proposed to research Dust, which was against the Church, but Jordan College decided to fund him.
One day, Lyra's best friend Roger went missing. As it turned out, many gyptian kids had been kidnapped by those called the Gobblers, and Roger was just its latest victim. At the same time, a charming woman named Mrs Coulter wanted to adopt Lyra as her assistant, and Lyra eagerly agreed to it because she longed to see the world. First stop was London, Mrs Coulter's residence. Before she left, the Master gave her a compass-like tool, made out of gold, called alethiometer.
But Lyra soon found disquieting evidence on Mrs Coulter's strange behaviour, along with her golden monkey daemon. Upon finding out that Lyra had the alethiometer, Mrs Coulter reacted strongly and Lyra worried that she was not as she seemed. Who was Mrs Coulter actually? What was Dust, the mysterious particles Lord Asriel poured so much of himself to research? And where did the kidnapped kids and their daemons go?
EGGLYSIS
When I first read the book, I only wanted to take a peek. Honest. Only one or two chapters. But the story builds up so quickly than when I resurfaced from my imagination, the book was almost finished.
I find the story engaging and intriguing, though some of the inner workings of the universe Pullman built is still confusing. It's normal though, as it's only the first book. What information he gave is enough to make readers hungry to learn more. World-building wise, good but not that great. Brandon Sanderson is still the best amongst other contemporary, non-mainstream fantasy authors. Characterisation is also okay. Lord Asriel and Mrs Coulter are too delicious.
That being said, this book was written as anti-Church and, to some extent, anti-Christianity. Philip Pullman really expressed his views on organised religion, and I find those interesting. His concerns are valid -- how Church often limits knowledge in the name of religion, how knowledge is sometimes deemed evil just because it dares question whatever truth we humans inherit since the beginning of time. But I too can see how some of his takes might not sit right with Christians. For me, it's when he tweaked the Holy Bible verses to fit his narrative. Growing up Christian, it has been ingrained in me to not add, edit, lessen anything in the Holy Bible. I understand that it's on an alternate universe and it fits the narrative, but it caught me off guard the first time.
Overall, Northern Lights...
Click here to read the review in English.
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